Left Horse Camp at 1AM and got to the summit at around 8:30AM. The route was not as technically interesting as I expected, but it sure was LONG. The walk across the crater tested my will to live. The descent went fast, despite the abundant post-holes. Back to Horse Camp at 11:30AM.

Did the 7,000+ vertical foot climb from Bunny Flat, up Avalanche Gulch, to the peak in just under seven hours. Skied down in about one hour from the base of Misery Hill via the Trinity Chutes, approximately 6,400 vertical feet of very nice corn snow.

This was my first time up Shasta and I was fortunate to be able to climb with Forjan & Mdostby, who have summited Shasta multiple times. We were the only ones on Casaval Ridge that day.Roundtrip was a few minutes over 12 hours. I look forward to climbing this route again.

Weather was WAY nice... to nice, I didn't bring anything short sleeved... 7 of us went to Helen Lake, 5 of us got out bed @ 1am and 3 of us made it to the top. PS ... got burned in places I didn't know I had... like in my ears!

beautiful conditions on high. left bunny flats at 1130am. skinned up to Lake Helen on the 19th in great weather, almost too warm/soft to skin up by the end of the day. alpine start on the 20th, 430am, at a mellow pace to summit by 1100. could've lit a match on the summit. perfectly still, no clouds, about 50deg. skied down, bullet proof up top, avalanche gulch in perfect light corn making for really heavy snow down low after picking up camp and catching our breath. But, ya can't beat perfect conditions on the steeps! yow! excellent adventures.

Hi,
Just wondering what the snow conditions were like. I've heard that the mountain did not get a lot of snow this past season. I'm planning a trip up the Avalanche gulche route in about 3 weeks. I've gone up the mountain once before but am still new to mountaineering.

Skinned up to Casaval, fooled around on a few of the big gendarmes and enjoyed the blizzard conditions, probably stopped around 12,600-800. Skied down the west side of the ridge toward hidden valley, found a round about way back to the road and hitched back up to bunny flat. The section of trees between bunny flat parking and the start of the ridge can be a pain in the butt. Some wind slab action on the east side of the ridge.

This was my second attempt at Shasta; as with my previous attempt up the long Clear Route with about 8,000 feet of gain. On my first attempt, I was turned back at over 13,000 as the result of consistent high winds with the mountains ash a real pain as it blew around the edges of my mountaineering glasses and into my contact lenses. One month later I was provided a second opportunity on a late season October attempt.
I started the climb at about 2pm on a perfectly clear Saturday afternoon and pitched camp at about 9,400 feet. The next morning started up a bit late at 8 am. Climbing this route without snow was a drag with the very loose rock and sand on the steep slope. Fortunately no wind but this time I came prepared regardless with ski goggles.
The summit view was absolutely spectacular with few high clouds. The summit register revealed that I was only the second person to make it that day but being I didn’t see them, assumed that person came up via another route.
Definitely a peak that needs a second visitation!

My first attempt at anything beyond a ski lift. I had NO CLUE about how much conditioning I would need and thus made it as far as the heart before turning back! I came back the following year, in shape and fell in love with mountaineering. Much beter the second, more educated time around!

We climbed Shasta via Avalanche Gulch back in July of 2001. There was very little snow that year: no snow at all up to Helen and "Helen Lake" was actually open so you did not have to melt snow. It was very cold and windy on top but all 4 of us made it. Great experience!